Design — exists
The Huawei Pura X Max | Image by Huawei
The iPhone Ultra is almost entirely original, if you look past the fact that it’s a bolder take on the original Google Pixel Fold. That device was also wide and short, even if it wasn’t quite as compact as the iPhone Ultra is expected to be.Regardless, Apple deserves credit for recognizing that not everyone wants a giant device in the name of a foldable.
By the time the device actually launches, though, the design will have lost its novelty. Huawei has already launched a wide foldable, and Samsung is set to launch one next month.
Crease — not eliminated
An iPhone Ultra dummy unit. | Image by Sonny Dickson
Apple reportedly held out for as long as it did because it wanted its foldable to rise above the competition. That was supposed to mean a non-existent crease and a profile as slim as a conventional handset.However, if a new leak is anything to go by, the phone will have a fairly prominent crease. Full disclaimer: dummy models aren’t built with the same tech as retail units, so they rarely mimic the final design perfectly.
Dummy units aside, most recent reports claim Apple has simply minimized the crease, which, breaking news, pretty much every other manufacturer has already done. The new benchmark was supposed to be higher, but it looks like Apple won’t be the one setting it.
Illusion of something special
The iPhone Ultra may not be fundamentally different from other foldable phones on the market, which is fine. Most bendable handsets are already highly capable devices, and Apple getting the technicalities right on its first attempt would be an achievement in itself. Still, Apple will do its best to convince you of the iPhone Ultra’s uniqueness. Aside from slapping on a massive price tag, one tactic might be restricting it to a single color.It’s a playbook the company has already used with other premium products such as the Apple Watch Ultra and Vision Pro.
The Apple ecosystem will save the day once again
iOS will be the saving grace. | Image by Yarn
Based on what we know, the iPhone Ultra doesn’t have a single killer feature. As always, the onus falls on the broader ecosystem to save the device. Apparently, Apple loyalists with a desk full of Apple gear will only buy Apple products (don’t come at me; I am platform-agnostic). And that, ladies and gentlemen, will likely be the ultimate saving grace of the iPhone Ultra.
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